Buying from a Broker vs Buying from Showroom
Discussion
Hi guys,
I am weighing up buying a Mercedes SL55 for my wife. When I normally buy cars its all about going to your local showroom where you can view the car, meet the salesman and see the company you are dealing with. You would get first-rate service and build up a relationship with the garage. They will then look out for you and keep in touch for any car advice and problems etc.
Nowadays the industry seems to be flooded with internet brokers. You may get a slightly better price with these brokers but have they taken out the enjoyment of buying a car? Most brokers cars are on sale or return and I they are just in it for a quick buck, they have no showroom where you can browse the selection of cars and for all I know once I buy a car from him I will probably never hear from them again. Call me old fashioned but I think going to the showroom is what the whole experience and pride of buying car is about. I'm interested to get others opinions, I'm sure this has prob been discussed plenty of times before.
There is an SL55 which looks a good deal from a broker but please can you tell me any advantages of buying from a broker over buying from a showroom.
I am weighing up buying a Mercedes SL55 for my wife. When I normally buy cars its all about going to your local showroom where you can view the car, meet the salesman and see the company you are dealing with. You would get first-rate service and build up a relationship with the garage. They will then look out for you and keep in touch for any car advice and problems etc.
Nowadays the industry seems to be flooded with internet brokers. You may get a slightly better price with these brokers but have they taken out the enjoyment of buying a car? Most brokers cars are on sale or return and I they are just in it for a quick buck, they have no showroom where you can browse the selection of cars and for all I know once I buy a car from him I will probably never hear from them again. Call me old fashioned but I think going to the showroom is what the whole experience and pride of buying car is about. I'm interested to get others opinions, I'm sure this has prob been discussed plenty of times before.
There is an SL55 which looks a good deal from a broker but please can you tell me any advantages of buying from a broker over buying from a showroom.
There's really no downside as long as you know what you want - spec, colour, trim, options etc. (unless you are prepared to pay a grand or so more for a smart salesman, a bit of chat and and several cups of coffee). There are, IMHO, three upsides, these being a lower price, the car delivered to your door - although most dealers will do this these days - and not having to suffer the salesman trying to sell you additional servicing deals etc., etc.
A lot of rot is talked about problems with servicing, warranty etc. but it is just that, rot. I know of no dealer who has turned away profitable servicing and warranty work because they didn't sell the car in the first place. Thank goodness, otherwise I would have been in real problems on the occasion I have moved house to new areas!
Edited for fourth upside - you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.
Edited again - if you are prepared to pay a grand or so for someone in a smart suit, a bit of chat and some coffee just let me know, I have some very smart suits and good coffee and can talk endlessly about cars!
A lot of rot is talked about problems with servicing, warranty etc. but it is just that, rot. I know of no dealer who has turned away profitable servicing and warranty work because they didn't sell the car in the first place. Thank goodness, otherwise I would have been in real problems on the occasion I have moved house to new areas!
Edited for fourth upside - you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.
Edited again - if you are prepared to pay a grand or so for someone in a smart suit, a bit of chat and some coffee just let me know, I have some very smart suits and good coffee and can talk endlessly about cars!
Edited by Garvin on Friday 4th May 16:23
Garvin said:
Edited again - if you are prepared to pay a grand or so for someone in a smart suit, a bit of chat and some coffee just let me know, I have some very smart suits and good coffee and can talk endlessly about cars!
I dont have any smart suits, but will undercut Garvin and talk to you about cars for just £500. As a special introductory offer i will also undertake not to be condescending towards you, and not to look at your wifes tits more than three or four times and will try to do so when you aren't lookingUnlike the OP, I have little sympathy for main dealers but brokers are also not without risk. I am looking for a new 320i BMW to my own specification and am considering these guys www.broadspeed.com anyone had any experience of Broadspeed?
Edited by Chad speed on Friday 4th May 17:02
When my gran wanted a new Polo we had a miserable experience at the local VW dealers.
Anyway, whilst on the test drive I was sat in the back on my phone, found the car in the colour and spec wanted at a brokers, we went home, ordered it at a £1700 discount, gave her car to webuyanycar.com and even taking their lower price into account she still saved £1200 on the deal at the local dealer on a like for like car.
The new car was delivered on a wagon from a main dealers in Manchester, perfect condition, good communication throughout. I would recommend the process again in a heartbeat.
If you really want the dealership collection experience in the shiny showroom then just tell them you want to collect in person, you may even save the delivery fee
Anyway, whilst on the test drive I was sat in the back on my phone, found the car in the colour and spec wanted at a brokers, we went home, ordered it at a £1700 discount, gave her car to webuyanycar.com and even taking their lower price into account she still saved £1200 on the deal at the local dealer on a like for like car.
The new car was delivered on a wagon from a main dealers in Manchester, perfect condition, good communication throughout. I would recommend the process again in a heartbeat.
If you really want the dealership collection experience in the shiny showroom then just tell them you want to collect in person, you may even save the delivery fee
Blue Oval84 said:
When my gran wanted a new Polo we had a miserable experience at the local VW dealers.
Anyway, whilst on the test drive I was sat in the back on my phone, found the car in the colour and spec wanted at a brokers, we went home, ordered it at a £1700 discount, gave her car to webuyanycar.com and even taking their lower price into account she still saved £1200 on the deal at the local dealer on a like for like car.
The new car was delivered on a wagon from a main dealers in Manchester, perfect condition, good communication throughout. I would recommend the process again in a heartbeat.
If you really want the dealership collection experience in the shiny showroom then just tell them you want to collect in person, you may even save the delivery fee
Care to name the broker?Anyway, whilst on the test drive I was sat in the back on my phone, found the car in the colour and spec wanted at a brokers, we went home, ordered it at a £1700 discount, gave her car to webuyanycar.com and even taking their lower price into account she still saved £1200 on the deal at the local dealer on a like for like car.
The new car was delivered on a wagon from a main dealers in Manchester, perfect condition, good communication throughout. I would recommend the process again in a heartbeat.
If you really want the dealership collection experience in the shiny showroom then just tell them you want to collect in person, you may even save the delivery fee
I would buy online again. Sourced my MX 5 that way last year.
Loads of great deals, many would have been happy with a PX which I didn't have, and offered finance I didn't need. When I declined both, there were no probs.
I ended up getting the car from a Mazda dealer near where I live in Scotland. He came up in an internet search for discount cars.
Got a superb deal, fantastc discount, no hassle over selling me extrs, He didn't offer me superguard, or any of that other stuff.
Did it all on the phone. A week later, met the salesman, handshake, cuppa, paperwork, a nice chat about coassic cars and my nice new cheap car was driven round from the PDI bays for me to drive away in.
The way car buying should be.
Great experience.
Loads of great deals, many would have been happy with a PX which I didn't have, and offered finance I didn't need. When I declined both, there were no probs.
I ended up getting the car from a Mazda dealer near where I live in Scotland. He came up in an internet search for discount cars.
Got a superb deal, fantastc discount, no hassle over selling me extrs, He didn't offer me superguard, or any of that other stuff.
Did it all on the phone. A week later, met the salesman, handshake, cuppa, paperwork, a nice chat about coassic cars and my nice new cheap car was driven round from the PDI bays for me to drive away in.
The way car buying should be.
Great experience.
Ari said:
When everyone's buying from brokers, and all the new car showrooms disappear, where are you going to go and look at/test drive/play with your prospective purchases?
Or are you all happy to spend twenty grand based on a few photos on a computer monitor?
Manufacturers will still need to provide service workshops etc. and will use the premises to 'advertise' their vehicles so they won't disappear, the dealerships may well radically change - they may well end up selling over the internet themselves. They will just have to 'get with the times' and change their business model. It's called progress.Or are you all happy to spend twenty grand based on a few photos on a computer monitor?
Ari said:
When everyone's buying from brokers, and all the new car showrooms disappear, where are you going to go and look at/test drive/play with your prospective purchases?
Or are you all happy to spend twenty grand based on a few photos on a computer monitor?
You are clueless and if you want to spend money to greedy dealers your on your own.Or are you all happy to spend twenty grand based on a few photos on a computer monitor?
The brokers use dealerships.
nottyash said:
You are clueless and if you want to spend money to greedy dealers your on your own.
The brokers use dealerships.
Yeeeeess....The brokers use dealerships.
And when these dealerships have no real customers, just brokers paying next to nothing, how long do you think they'll stay in business?
Buying on line is great for buying a CD. But a £20K car?
Garvin said:
Manufacturers will still need to provide service workshops etc. and will use the premises to 'advertise' their vehicles so they won't disappear, the dealerships may well radically change - they may well end up selling over the internet themselves. They will just have to 'get with the times' and change their business model. It's called progress.
So you think they'll maybe have a big room with a few different examples of new cars in? Maybe glass walls so people can see them from outside? Obviously they'll need to staff them with people that can show the cars, arrange a test drive, etc. It sounds fantastic, they could call them "car dealerships" or something.
Ari said:
Garvin said:
Manufacturers will still need to provide service workshops etc. and will use the premises to 'advertise' their vehicles so they won't disappear, the dealerships may well radically change - they may well end up selling over the internet themselves. They will just have to 'get with the times' and change their business model. It's called progress.
So you think they'll maybe have a big room with a few different examples of new cars in? Maybe glass walls so people can see them from outside? Obviously they'll need to staff them with people that can show the cars, arrange a test drive, etc. It sounds fantastic, they could call them "car dealerships" or something.
Ari said:
nottyash said:
You are clueless and if you want to spend money to greedy dealers your on your own.
The brokers use dealerships.
Yeeeeess....The brokers use dealerships.
And when these dealerships have no real customers, just brokers paying next to nothing, how long do you think they'll stay in business?
Buying on line is great for buying a CD. But a £20K car?
Last new car we bought, we did the usual. Went to local dealer, friendly helpful salesman, lots of hot drinks offered, told them what we were after and asked for a test drive. They didn't have a demonstrator in the spec or the engine we were after, but offered a drive in a used car that was already sold to another customer.
The car we wanted was in their central dealer holding area 40 miles away, yet we still had to wait 11 days to take delivery.
Not really sure how much value they offered vs just clicking and ordering online.
The car we wanted was in their central dealer holding area 40 miles away, yet we still had to wait 11 days to take delivery.
Not really sure how much value they offered vs just clicking and ordering online.
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